COVID-19 Email Updates

News from Calgary Co-op during COVID-19

Masks Instore Recommended

May 25, 2020

As our community begins to re-open and in order to protect our members and team members, we strongly recommend that members and the public wear a face mask or face covering while in our stores. This recommendation is based on the advice from a number of health care agencies including Canada's Chief Public Health Officer and the Government of Alberta. As an added layer of protection, all of our frontline team members are also wearing face masks as are any vendors and partners that visit our stores.

Health officials advise that wearing a face mask or face covering in public can help protect others. It is still important to practice physical distancing and good hygiene including hand washing and use of hand sanitizer.

Macleod Trail Store Update

May 22, 2020

Dear Members,

We hope you continue to stay healthy as we start to take small steps to re-open our economy in Alberta. We know these are unsettling times, and we thank you for your continued trust and support. Today I’d like to share an update about our Macleod Trail food store location.

As you know, we have been very diligent with our in-store safety practices. Thank you for doing your part by respecting physical distancing, following guidance and being considerate to our team members. Together, we are making a difference.

As a result of proactive and asymptomatic testing, Alberta Health Services has identified five COVID-19 cases from team members at our Macleod Trail food store. We encouraged team members to be tested after an employee recently tested positive at the food store. Additional testing has uncovered further positive cases. All of the affected employees are self-isolating at home. The last day any of these employees worked was May 13th. At this time, all cases are either asymptomatic or minor in nature and we anticipate they will be resolved soon.

As part of our procedures, we conducted a deep clean of the store and as an additional precaution, we have temporarily suspended service in our bakery at this location. We have been told that at this time, the likelihood of transmission within the store continues to be low.

We have been working in collaboration with Alberta Health Services (AHS) each step of the way, and they are pleased with our diligence in implementing safety procedures, testing staff, as well as tracking and disclosing COVID-19 cases for the safety of all. They have not recommended any further actions on our part.

That said, as an additional measure, it will now be mandatory for our frontline staff to wear a mask while working in our stores. We are also working to implement temperature checks for team members at all store locations. In accordance with AHS regulations, it is still optional for shoppers to wear masks while shopping with us.

Since the start of COVID-19, we have worked hard to be as proactive as possible to ensure safety within our stores and to communicate with you on a regular basis, keeping you informed about what we’re doing. Undoubtedly, our increased testing has uncovered cases that could otherwise not be known, which has given us the opportunity to isolate those individuals and decrease the spread and risk to others.

We continue to commit to you that we are doing everything we can to be as proactive as possible for the well-being of our team members and members. We want to thank everyone for continuing to do their part to keep our communities safe. Together, we will continue to overcome COVID-19.

Midtown Store Update

May 5, 2020

Dear Member,

As we continue to navigate COVID-19 together, we wanted to share an update about our Midtown food store location.

On April 19, we shared with you that three separate cases had been detected at the Midtown food store location. In order to provide the best possible care for our members and team members, starting that day, we implemented symptom self-assessments and temperature checks for all Midtown team members before their shifts. Out of an abundance of caution, we also reached out to Alberta Health Services (AHS), requesting expedited testing for all of our Midtown team members. These rigorous and proactive actions have since uncovered additional cases. We can now confirm six active cases and an additional nine cases have already been resolved. We wish those recovering at home a quick recovery. We have been informed by AHS that the risk of transmission between staff in-store or to shoppers is still low. The majority of cases appear to have been contracted from outside positive sources. We can also confirm that AHS is confident in our procedures and has not recommended any further actions on our part as our cleaning, sanitizing and proactive measures in store are working to help flatten the curve.

We have been working in collaboration with AHS since the beginning of the pandemic to ensure the safety of our team members, members and community. As part of our procedures, each time we are notified of a positive case, we go beyond AHS recommendations and conduct regular overnight deep cleans and sanitization of the store. We are continuing to work closely with AHS and following or exceeding their guidance. Further, we are tracking all COVID-19 cases that affect our staff and are continuing to share active cases on our website.

Calgary Co-op has been working hard throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure stores are as safe as possible for everyone. These measures include:

Regular disinfection of high-touch areas, shopping carts, pin pads and conveyor belts, in addition to ongoing cleaning and sanitizing throughout the store.

Installation of plexiglass dividers at all check-outs, pharmacy and customer service counters.

Staggering check-outs to adhere to physical distancing.

Installation of physical distancing markers on the floor and one-way aisles.

Restriction of the number of shoppers in-store at any given time.

Personal protective equipment for all frontline staff.

Removal of self-serve food stations.

The removal of reusable bags until further notice.

No longer offering rainchecks or accepting returns.

Sanitizing gel available for all customers at store entry and exit.

Instructed any potentially exposed team members to stay home and self-isolate.

Wage increases for all frontline team members.

Increase to a $250 limit for touchless, “tap” payments.

Designated shopping hours for seniors, those with disabilities and compromised immune systems.

We recognize that as the number of cases in Calgary grows, there is the increased potential for positive cases among those working in essential services. We will continue to be vigilant in our preventative measures in all our stores and will continue to communicate with you throughout this crisis. As we move through this process, we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure the health and safety of our team members and members.

Calgary Co-op would like to thank its team members, members and the community for the incredible efforts being made on a daily basis, as we work together to keep each other and our community safe while supplying the essential provisions we all need.

We are committed to our team members, members and the community as we navigate the COVID-19 crisis together. Together, we will overcome COVID-19.

Ken Keelor, CEO

Proactive Testing at our Shawnessy Food Store

April 27, 2020

In discussion with Alberta Health Services (AHS) over the weekend, we learned of one confirmed case and two presumptive cases of COVID-19 at our Shawnessy food store. We have been advised by Alberta Health Services that these cases are considered low risk and there is no evidence that they were contracted within the store. The testing was a proactive measure and was prompted by the employees’ connection to other positive cases in the community, not by displaying symptoms. The last date any of these employees worked was April 21. The three employees worked in the bakery and meat sections of the store. Out of an abundance of caution, an overnight deep clean and disinfection was carried out as a precautionary measure. I would like to commend these employees for taking the appropriate measures by identifying their risk through close contacts, self-isolating and proactively getting tested. We wish them all a quick recovery.

Calgary Co-op continues to work with AHS on appropriate measures to ensure the ongoing safety of our team members and members. In line with AHS recommendations, we are already doing hourly stringent cleaning and sanitizing in our stores. Any time we have a positive case in a store, we are proactively doing an additional deep clean and disinfection for added safety.

We recognize that as the number of COVID-19 cases in Calgary continues to grow, there is more potential for positive cases among those working in essential services. To provide transparency to you and to keep you informed, we have started listing current cases on our website. We have also requested more proactive testing for our essential frontline team members and are working with AHS on this process.

Our goal is to continue to navigate these challenging times with the safety and well-being of our team members and members as our top priority. We have taken a vast number of measures to date to achieve this including:

Installation of plexiglass dividers at all check-outs, pharmacy and customer service counters.

Staggered check-outs to adhere to physical distancing.

Installation of physical distancing markers on the floor and one-way aisles.

Restriction of the number of shoppers in-store at any given time.

Personal protective equipment for all frontline staff.

Removal of self-serve food stations.

Hand sanitizer available for all customers at store entry and exit.

The removal of reusable bags effective May 2nd until further notice.

We are not offering returns or rainchecks until further notice.

Wage increases for all frontline team members.

Delivery of grocery care packages to close to 2,800 Calgarians in need.

Increase to a $250 limit for touchless, “tap” payments.

Designated shopping hours for seniors, those with disabilities and compromised immune systems

Online donations to support our charitable partners.

Employee self-assessment checks, and in some instances, temperature checks upon entering the store

Ongoing collaboration with Alberta Health Services

Our work is ongoing, and we will continue to communicate with you throughout this crisis, either on social media, through email or through our Calgary Co-op website.

Thank you to our team members, members and the community for the incredible efforts being made throughout these extraordinary times. We will get through this, together.

Ken Keelor, CEO

COVID-19 Update: Delayed Opening at Midtown Food Store

April 19, 2020

I would like to notify you that our Midtown food store will delay its opening today, Sunday April 19, 2020 until approximately 11 a.m.

In discussion with Alberta Health Services (AHS) over the weekend, we learned that three employees of our Midtown food store have tested positive for COVID-19. Out of an abundance of caution, an overnight deep clean disinfection was carried out as a precautionary measure.

At this time, there is no evidence that these cases were contracted within the store. Each of the employees started experiencing symptoms on different days during their days off, and have not returned to work since that time. The last date on which any of these employees worked was April 12, 2020.

The three employees worked in the produce, meat and grocery sections of the store. I would like to commend these employees for taking the appropriate measures by identifying their symptoms, self-isolating and contacting AHS for further direction. We wish them all a quick recovery.

Calgary Co-op is working with AHS on all appropriate steps to ensure the ongoing safety of our team members and members. At this time, the possible risk of transmission to the public is low and the disinfection of the store was taken as a precautionary measure.

We have been working hard throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure our stores are as safe as possible for everyone. These measures include:

Installation of plexiglass dividers at all check-outs, pharmacy and customer service counters.

Staggering check-outs to adhere to physical distancing.

Installation of physical distancing markers on the floor and one-way aisles.

Restriction of the number of shoppers in-store at any given time.

Personal protective equipment for all frontline staff.

Removal of self-serve food stations.

Sanitizing wipes and gel available for all customers at store entry and exit.

Providing PPE including face masks and gloves for all frontline team members.

Wage increases for all frontline team members.

Delivery of grocery care packages to close to 2,500 Calgarians in need.

Increase to a $250 limit for touchless, “tap” payments for credit cards.

Designated shopping hours for seniors, those with disabilities and compromised immune systems.

Calgary Co-op will continue to collaborate with AHS on this evolving situation. We recognize that as the number of cases in Calgary grows, there is the increased potential for positive cases among those working in essential services. We will continue to be vigilant in our preventative measures in all our stores and will continue to communicate with you throughout this crisis. I would like to thank our team members, members and the community for the incredible efforts being made on a daily basis, as we work together to keep each other and our community safe while supplying the essential provisions we all need.

Sincerely,Ken Keelor, CEO

Calgary Co-op Covid-19 Update

April 8, 2020

To Our Valued Members,

The COVID-19 situation continues to evolve rapidly as we are seeing enhanced recommendations from government and public health agencies encouraging people and businesses to take extended measures to help reduce the spread. As I have said before, my commitment to you is to take extensive precautions across all of our lines of business to help ensure the safety of our team members, members and the community and to communicate with you throughout this process.

We have been notified by an employee of our Village Square gas station that they have tested positive for COVID-19. We have taken immediate steps to protect our staff and members, and are working with Alberta Health Services to investigate the employee's recent shifts and direct contacts to identify and support those who should self-isolate. We are following up directly with those potentially affected. We also wanted to communicate this news immediately to you. The employee has been self-isolating at home since first displaying symptoms. We are staying in close contact with the employee and are offering our support to them and their family.

Here are the steps we have already taken to address this situation:

We closed the location and deep cleaned and sanitized according to recommendations from Alberta Health Services. The location re-opened today.

We are working with AHS to identify and support anyone that the employee may have come in contact with to ensure they self-isolate.

We will continue to be completely transparent with our team members, members and the community throughout this pandemic.

Calgary Co-op has been implementing a vast number of safety measures throughout this pandemic to mitigate risk, and we are taking additional measures at this particular store to ensure the safety of our members and team members.

As you know, we have been working hard with our emergency operations team and health officials to make our stores as safe as possible through this pandemic. This includes initiatives such as regular disinfection of high-touch areas, such as shopping carts, baskets, handles, pin pads and conveyor belts. We have also installed plexiglass dividers to ensure further distancing between staff and customers. We also have masks and gloves available for all frontline staff at all locations.

We have also implemented some new initiatives to ensure our stores continue to be a safe place for you to shop.

These include:

Asking you to designate one shopper per family to help reduce the number of people in store.

Limiting the number of people in store and asking for your patience as you may have to occasionally wait for others to finish their shopping.

Following the directional arrows on the floor in each of our stores to help with physical distancing and to improve the flow of traffic.

Knowing that our team members are doing their best to serve you while respecting physical distancing to keep themselves and you safe.

We are in this Together. And together, we will get through this. Together for good.

Sincerely, Ken KeelorCEO

Calgary Co-op & U.C.C.E. Supporting its Team and the Community

March 25, 2020

This morning we announced our Calgary Co-op Champions program to our staff and our valued members. We are pleased to share the letter that Calgary Co-op CEO Ken Keelor and Pat Rose, President, U.C.C.E. sent to our team members to thank them for their service to the community and announce how we are working together to show them our appreciation.

Calgary Co-op Champions Program

You are at the very heart of Calgary Co-op, and we simply couldn’t serve our community without you. As Covid-19 continues to impact everyone’s lives, your tireless commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences and ensuring our community is safe and cared for has not wavered.

Your dedication truly reflects the co-operative spirit, especially as you care for our members personally during these unprecedented times. We are extremely proud of you! And we hear it from our members too!

In co-operation with your Union U.C.C.E., we have developed a program designed to honour and support you, our Champions.

Here are the details of our ‘Calgary Co-op Champions’ program:

All hourly frontline team members across all lines of business including union, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and Home Health Care will receive a $2.50 per hour ‘salary booster’ for all hours worked, retroactive to March 8 until May 30, 2020. We will reassess the program at that time.

All team members will receive additional discounts and offers through e-mail to allow you to shop and care for their families (make sure you are signed up for email rewards).

We are recruiting additional temporary part-time team members to offer more store support.

We also have our E.F.A.P. program available to all staff whether they are at work or in quarantine.

To further support our U.C.C.E. members, the executive of the Union is providing their members with a $100 Calgary Co-op gift card to further assist them in this challenging time.

We know all team members are working long hours and working in many different ways to support our members and community. So, there will also be recognition separately for other team members who are working within our store environment.

As the situation continues to evolve, please know that you are providing an essential service to our community, and we are tremendously aware of and thankful for your commitment and dedication. This program is just one way for us to demonstrate our appreciation for you, and for everything you are doing, as you continue to ensure our stores remain a safe and healthy place to work and for our community to shop.

Stay safe and healthy. We are in this together.

Ken Keelor, CEO, Calgary Co-opPat Rose, President, U.C.C.E.

Store Cleaning & Sanitizing and Co-op Care Packages

March 16, 2020

To Our Valued Members;

As the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) continues to have an increased impact in our community, I feel it is important to connect with you directly about the preventative steps we are taking across all of our lines of business to help keep you, your family and our community safe. As a valued member of Calgary Co-op your safety has always been, and continues to be, our number one priority. As a co-operative and member of the community, we are also taking steps to help those directly impacted by the virus and are under quarantine.

Here are the steps we are taking to protect our members and team members:

Emergency Planning Team:Early on in the worldwide discovery of this virus, Calgary Co-op activated its Emergency Planning Team, with representation across all of our lines of business. From the onset of the virus, this team has been in close consultation with public health officials including Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to ensure we aware of and aligned with their guidance and recommendations.

In our Stores:In addition to the strict cleaning and sanitizing guidelines already in place at our stores and workplaces, we are also taking additional measures to ensure the safety of our members and team members.

Working with our suppliers to restock high-needs items including paper and cleaning products.

Following the recommendation of all major public health agencies including AHS and PHAC to encourage all members and team members to regularly wash their hands using water and soap which is readily available at all of our stores.

Ensuring our team members have the information they need to stay healthy and encouraging any team members who feel unwell to stay home.

Reminding our members that all Calgary Co-op Pharmacies offer free delivery on prescriptions.

Our business decisions are formed by guidance from AHS and the PHAC. Should new recommendations be shared by public health experts, we will re-evaluate our procedures as required and will continue to communicate any changes with you, our members.

Our Community: Calgary Co-op Care Package OfferingIn light of the increased cases of Covid-19 in our community and to help those impacted, we are also taking the additional step of offering a Calgary Co-op Care Package containing food essentials, free of charge, to anyone required to be quarantined as directed by a public health agency. These Calgary Co-op Care Packages will contain non-perishable food items such as canned meat, pasta sauce, and juice. They will be delivered to those affected in the Calgary-area. These care packages will be available until April 15th. To request a care package, please contact memberengagement@calgarycoop.com with your name, address, phone number, the start and end date of your quarantine, as instructed by a public health agency, as well as your closest Calgary Co-op store. This offer will extend as long as inventory permits.

Your safety and that of our team members and community is very important to us. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with any of our Store Managers. You are also welcome to contact us directly at 403-219-6064 or memberengagement@calgarycoop.com

I hope this gives you confidence in the actions we are taking in all of our lines of business. We remain committed to being a good neighbour and community member and to ensuring all of our stores are a safe and healthy place for you to shop.